Boned2 (Mandarin Connection Book 5) Read online

  Oh, shit!

  Stephan Jaeger.

  In love.

  With ME.

  He WOULDN’T?

  Would he?

  Is he going to propose to me?

  Fuck!

  —————

  FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

  —————

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  At the Marina Bay Sands, Karl, Olga and I were escorted and checked in to our rooms.

  Olga had approached me after we were given our room keys.

  “So, dahlink, do you like vut you see?” she said, pirouetting around to show me that perfect ass.

  She laughed, and it was a beautiful sound.

  Her laughter was throaty, and hot, and full of the lust for life.

  She eyed me, up and down, and nodded.

  “You haf a nice body, Miss Bloomberg, and your stepbrudder is a lucky man,” she laughed more.

  Her accent made her all the more attractive to me, for some reason.

  I wanted to bury my face in her bush, and just inhale her scent.

  Even there, in the hotel lobby, Olga dripped sexual power.

  I couldn’t help but giggle with her, but awkwardly.

  Weren’t she and Karl a couple?

  Not that it made much difference, I supposed, but she should feel a bit jealous, right?

  We chatted a bit about nothing, and then she kissed me on the lips, and whispered in my ear.

  “Jules and Tanya haf told me of your … proclivities. I would very much enjoy drinking you, and vit you!” she exclaimed.

  “But, won’t Karl…” I began.

  “Ach! Karl! Ze king of the vorld! Kapitan of his Destiny, and mine! My heart is his, you know?” she said, suddenly serious.

  “Men are such fools!” she exclaimed.

  For a second, I thought she was going to cry!

  “Rachel, vit you I can haf the most fun of times, nein? But, it is only zat,” she said.

  “Should Karl vish, I vould of course join, and if he vanted for me to only vatch, I vould vatch,” she said.

  “I am his slave; zat is my Destiny,” she said.

  She smiled primly, and walked over to the elevator.

  She pushed the button, her mouth silently working, like she wanted to say something.

  Olga waved, getting into the elevator that would take her to Karl’s floor.

  Just before the doors closed, I swore I heard her say something that chilled me to my bones.

  I thought I heard her say “Just as Drake Jaeger is yours.”

  —————

  I waited for the elevator to my room, the attendant happily chattering on about the grand features of the Marina Bay Sands.

  It truly was a marvelous place, with outstanding views, and diamond-level concierge services.

  There was a large dining hall, with teak and rosewood tables, suitable for any large gathering I could want, said the attendant.

  He nattered on while I watched the panel lights illuminate for floor after floor.

  I smiled at him, noncommittally, and dug for some bills to give to him.

  “No, no, ma’am! No tipping! No gratuities! All is already pay for you by Mr. Brett Ghent!” he said, embarrassed.

  “Well, thank you all the same,” I said, and exited.

  Walking down the hall to my room, I was perplexed.

  I found I was definitely attracted to Olga, and liked it.

  But, Karl complicated things.

  Olga’s blatant, open and sexual aggressiveness made me feel something I hadn’t ever, before.

  It was an awakening, of sorts.

  The knowledge that all these men, and women, were engaging in complex relationships, and were fully comfortable sexually, gave me a bit of introspective pause.

  I’d never thought of myself as a prude, but thinking about Olga and Karl and I engaged in a threesome went to unexpected places for me.

  I mean, Julie and Tanya had been fun, and sport.

  It allowed me to discover some things about myself.

  I learned a lot from our escapades!

  Even if some of it was a bit kinky…

  My feelings were becoming messily complicated, and I struggled to sort them out.

  Then, I was on my own floor, and opened the door to my room.

  —————

  And, of course, Stephan Jaeger was there.

  —————

  He was holding a red rose, and there was a bottle of champagne, and there was a table, and a small blue Tiffany’s box.

  “Rachel!” he said, beaming at me.

  He walked over, and handed me the rose, and then planted a small kiss on my hand, next to the flower.

  My hands started to shake, and he held them tight for a moment.

  Reaching around me, he hugged me tight.

  My nipples went rock hard.

  The smell of this man, so unlike Bone, or Karl; virile and masculine.

  Mature.

  Stephan exuded confidence, and security, and I felt like I was in the safest place in the world.

  “I see you are good?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said.

  I decided I would keep my answers to one syllable.

  I was on the verge of a huge crying jag, my emotions were so mixed up.

  My eyes scanned the room.

  It was a perfect set piece for a romantic dinner, and a fateful proposal.

  —————

  FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

  —————

  Stephan hugged me, just for a few more moments.

  Then, he let me go, and stepped back.

  “We’re meeting all the others for dinner in ninety minutes, and you and I need to have a talk about a matter of some importance to both of us,” said Stephan.

  “Yes,” I repeated.

  I sounded fucking stupid, but I couldn’t help myself.

  Something about him reminded me of Om, and that brought back the indelible image of the wedding.

  All this screamed “PROPOSAL” to my frantic mind!

  “Are you ok, Rachel?” he said.

  “Yes,” I said, for the third time.

  “You’ve no idea how worried I’ve been about you. Ever since Bone went overboard, there’s been nothing else of more importance to me than your mental health,” he said.

  What the hell was that?

  It sounded almost like Karl.

  No feeling over the loss of his brother?

  I was dumbfounded.

  Sure, there wasn’t a formal funeral, but Bone had drowned.

  He had to have been lost in that storm.

  “Rachel, I think you and I have to clear the air again,” said Stephan.

  He picked up the champagne, and popped the cork.

  There were two Swarovski lead-crystal flutes there, and he filled both.

  “Dom Perignon is my favorite, for this kind of thing,” he said, smiling.

  He placed the bottle back in the sterling-silver ice bucket.

  Holding the two crystal flutes, he handed one to me.

  “To us!” he said, and clinked my glass.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Us,” and I clinked his glass.

  I still couldn’t do more than one syllable.

  Gulping my champagne, I almost choked on it, and started coughing.

  “Hey! Rachel, baby! Don’t suck it all down like that! Are you ok?” he said.

  I coughed, and he took a napkin from the table and wiped my eyes, which were streaming tears.

  “That’s better! Jeez, Rache, be careful for Chrissake!” he chuckled.

  Then, he stopped wiping my eyes.

  He looked at me, with his own deep, blue eyes.

  Jaeger eyes.

  The eyes of a man in love.

  With me.

  He put his hand against my cheek, caressing it softly.

  I moaned, involuntarily.
/>   “Rachel, you know I made a vow to you – and my brother,” he said.

  “But…” he began to say, but instead, he leaned in close.

  His hot breath wafted into my nostrils, and they flared with passion.

  “Can’t…” I managed to get out before he covered my mouth with his.

  It only lasted three seconds.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “I’m weak,” he said.

  I thought the exact opposite.

  Gathering himself, he walked away, and set down his champagne.

  “Why don’t you sit down, so we can have our talk? Ok, Rache?” Stephan said.

  He pulled a chair over to me.

  I just made it.

  I had to sit down.

  Another second would have been too late.

  Because I was on the verge of coming.

  And, I could barely contain my love for this man.

  —————

  “More champagne,” I croaked.

  “Please,” I stammered.

  Good, three words.

  Calm down, Rachel!

  I scolded myself, trying to think of anything but that amazing kiss.

  Sylvia!

  Quint!

  Baseball!

  Anything, to get myself back under control.

  Stephan stepped away, again, returning with my flute.

  He handed it to me, and I was careful to avoid touching his fingers.

  There was some kind of electricity flowing between us, and I couldn’t take the chance.

  He frowned, just a bit.

  I sipped carefully, while he sat down on the divan next to the table.

  He took a few drinks, smacking his lips.

  Then, he looked a tiny bit sad.

  “You taste much, much better,” he said.

  Then, he shrugged and sipped again.

  “Not even a close second, but still good stuff, right?” he laughed.

  “What is it we need to discuss?” I asked.

  He leaned forward.

  “We’ve gotten some new information, and I didn’t feel it should be communicated while you were on the “Miss T.” Do you remember Randall Mitchum? Or rather, his brother, Kevin?” he asked.

  “Of course, from my cruise. When I got the message about Moms and Om…” I trailed off.

  “Rachel, listen carefully,” said Stephan. “I have something very important to ask you.”

  He came over to me, and knelt beside me.

  He put his hand on mine, there was that shock of contact, and I just fucking knew what he was going to ask me.

  Oh, shit!

  Here it comes!

  —————

  “What would you say if I told you that, maybe, there’s a small chance that Om didn’t crash the plane?” he asked.

  I was shocked.

  This wasn’t what I was expecting, at all.

  Why the champagne?

  Why all the romantic gestures?

  “What are you talking about that, now?” I asked Stephan.

  “Because, Kevin Mitchum works for us. He’s relayed some very interesting information in the last twenty-four hours. It may clear Om,” he said.

  I felt an enormous wave of relief!

  I just knew that Om could never have harmed Moms.

  It wasn’t possible.

  I don’t care how much of this spy nonsense was real or not, he just was incapable of even being mean with her.

  “Why all of…,” I waved my hand around, “…this?” I said.

  Stephan looked around the room, confused for a moment.

  Then, he smiled.

  “Oh, I’ve a small surprise for you later, after dinner,” he said.

  The smile disappeared, replace with that love-struck look.

  “It’s why I kissed you, Rachel,” he said, soberly.

  “Because, well, I just had to, for myself. I was just being selfish, is all,” he said.

  He looked away, towards the sea.

  “Bone would understand,” he added.

  What?

  “Look, Stephan, I know you love me, and all, but, this is all so sudden,” I said, spitting out more words in one sentence than I felt I had in the last ten minutes.

  “It’s been in the works for months,” he said.

  “You’ll see the big picture tonight, during the presentation at dinner!” he said, smiling.

  “What the hell, Stephan! Don’t embarrass me, and maybe yourself, with one of those ridiculous proposal things in front of all our friends! I just can’t tell you yes, for sure, right now! I need time to think, and…” I stopped.

  Stephan had spilled his champagne, and was staring at me, as if my head was on fire.

  Then, unexpectedly, he laughed heartily.

  “You think this is about…” he stopped, and laughed again.

  Long, and loudly, he bellowed, smacking his knee with his hand.

  “Of course! That’s so rich! I’m such a dumb shit! What the hell was I thinking?” he said.

  I was certain I had hurt his feelings, and wanted to move over to comfort him, but I wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t misinterpret my concern and compassion for something else.

  Composing himself, he sat there, shaking his head.

  “God, I am such a goddamned fool for love!” he said.

  “Stephan, no, it’s not like that, you see,” I said.

  “I do love you, but it’s just…” I tried to explain.

  “Rachel, my dearest Rachel! You have no idea at all how dumb I am,” he said.

  “I think I am so fucking smart, but I am the world’s biggest idiot when it comes to love, and romance!” he told me, still chuckling to himself.

  “No, Stephan, I don’t think that at all. You’re a sweet, dear man, and the best stepbrother any woman could have. I love you!” I said.

  The tears were near, then.

  My loins were on fire.

  I was getting a completely different kind of excitement.

  I wanted to make love to Stephan, but it was too soon!

  He’d never realize how I truly felt, and think I was using him to forget about Bone.

  Or maybe he’d think that I wanted Karl.

  Which, to be truly honest, I sort of did.

  God, I am such a mess!

  “Rachel, listen to me,” Stephan said, standing up.

  I looked up at this beautiful man, my heart breaking at the complete unfairness of it all.

  He loved me!

  I loved him!

  But, we couldn’t show it!

  “I told you once before, out of respect for my brother, that I would never come between you two,” he said.

  “I meant it then. I still mean it, now. See you at dinner,” he concluded.

  And then, he walked out.

  —————

  I collapsed on the bed, weeping.

  God!

  Why did all these wonderful men love me?

  Any woman’s dream, to be loved by men, a dream come true, but it was a nightmare!

  I wanted to be there for each of them, for all of them!

  It was impossible.

  I was only one woman.

  There was just no way out of this.

  Putting my head into my pillow, I wailed, mourning Bone, again, and Om and Moms, and my horrible fortune.

  —————

  I finally cried myself out, and then began to get put together for dinner.

  I decided to really doll it up, and took my own sweet time.

  I had about an hour before I had to go.

  It would have to be enough.

  I jumped in the shower.

  I washed my hair.

  Luckily, there was a blow-dryer in the room.

  Drying my hair, I made a decision.

  I threw the towel on the floor, examining my body.

  Finding everything was still pretty much where it was from the last shower, I got my makeup organized.

  Black ma
scara.

  Ruby-red lip gloss.

  Blush, some glitter, that red nail polish I like, and some eye shadow…

  Twenty minutes later, I slipped a blue satin gown over my light blue bra and thong panties.

  The fabric of the dress was really sheer, so I got a gold necklace and some earrings to accessorize it and maybe draw attention away from my other assets a bit.

  I gave myself the once-over in the various mirrors in the room, and then put on my Jimmy Choo’s.

  If those men wanted a feast for their eyes, then by God, Rachel Bloomberg was going to deliver the goods!

  CHAPTER NINE

  Harlon Calloway watched as his enemies entered his kill zone.

  The trap was almost ready to be sprung.

  They were going to pay for their stupidity, and their insolence!

  He’d only been incarcerated a very short time, but the black mark of his conviction would take many months, maybe even as much as a year, and a small fortune to expunge.

  How could these fools have managed to outwit him?

  He cursed silently at his own bull-headedness.

  He knew full well the answer to that question.

  He had gotten careless.

  Sloppy.

  The one thing he hated in his underlings, a weakness that he felt must be evidence of his battle with senility.

  No matter…

  Calloway watched as the three men walked into the killing zone.

  A solitary individual held a black bag, and was standing in the center of a warehouse, and the three men walked up to him.

  The man stuck out his hand, as if to shake with the man in front.

  Calloway never shook hands.

  Calloway’s eyes focused on the scene.

  The man with the bag was one of his least useful henchman.

  He had made the fatal mistake of trying to hide a n accounting error from him.

  Either the man had not caught a significant discrepancy in the amount of ‘insurance’ money that one of his holdings had provided, or he had deliberately been withholding part of the money.

  The client had been ‘politely reminded’ of the shortfall, and soon after, when the fire department had managed to put out the blaze, the funds were forthcoming.

  However, his underling had not been suitably apologetic.

  He suspected that a bit of skimming may have occurred, but no matter.

  There would be a wonderful example made of this fool.

  As the two men’s hands met, the bag detonated, and all four were suddenly legless.

  They fell to the ground, screaming and shouting as they died, cursing the bagman.

  One of the mortally wounded men managed to pull out a large caliber handgun and shot the bagman, several times, first in the remains of his torso, and finally between his incredulous eyes.